Day after tomorrow will be the Hayday of all Haydays in relation to celebrating the Dutch Royal Family and the Monarchie,Queensday 2012.

Weather is expected to be about 20 celsius and sunny,so that sounds promising for a nation that is about to turn completely orange again while celebrating the worlds largest al fresco National party with concerts,events and picknicks,and ofcourse the Freemarkets(!!) all over the country.

Actually,festivities and celebrations already start the night before during Koninginnenacht ( Queensnight ).

Queensday 2012,the official birthday of HM Queen Beatrix is a day with a long history as it was,as we all know,the birthday of the late Queen Juliana and there used to be a grand defilé at Soestdijk Palace every year.As a tribubute to her mother,Queen Beatrix in her Inthronisation speech on april 30th 1980 declared this day will always be celebrated in honour of her mother.A fitting tribute indeed,in loving memory of a wonderfull Monarch,and a living tribute to the outstanding Queen Beatrix herself,who,despite personal tragedy also very much is the professional and wishes nothing to be altered but continue as much as usual as possible.We will all miss Friso and Mabel today,ofcourse,and maybe there will be many wearing a white flower as a subtle token of respect and care towards the Royal Family and especially Prince Friso.

It was a request by a dutch news site a month or so ago,to wear a white flower in support of the RF and as a sign that Friso is still with us,belongs to us,and is in our hearts.No doubt during the official welcoming speeches today there will be mentioning of the Prince at some point,maybe HM herself might mention him during her speech,but thruth is that while watching the wonderfull Queensday celebrations in Rhenen and Veenendaal,thoughts will also be with Friso,Mabel and the children in London.HM is in London with her son and daughter-in-law every weekend,or at least as often as possible as her schedule allows.

One can only admire her,and have a huge respect for her as a formidable mother,Queen and human being.

I wish all here a fantastic Queensday,and to all of you far from The Netherlands,I hope these pages will be filled with joyous pics and stories of what is already appearing to be a wonderfull sunny spring day.

Thank you Lucien, for disclosing us the lyrics of the Dutch National Anthem.
I've always adored the emotional and somewhat melancholic melody of your Anthem.

Thank you,you're welcome.The Anthem was written by Marnix of St.Aldegonde during the time of the reformation in 1574 I believe,in support of his friend The Prince of Orange.It is the worlds oldest known National Anthem

The traditional Freemarket in the City of Utrecht already started last night at 18.00PM,a tradition since long.Thousands clean up their attick and sit & sell for 24 hours amid an unbelieveble fun atmosphere.

I agree it must look silly to our foreign friends here,but many if not most do wear Orange,and I mean ORANGE from head to toe on Queensday...regardless what shape and size,Orange it is..,always!.

And then there is the café called the "Barking Fish" in the Jordaan area of loveble Amsterdam that has a pic of a member of the RF each year,this year it is a portrait of HRH Princess Amalia that adorns the complete front of the (popular) place:

I have very fond memories of my visit to Amsterdam for Queen's Day in 2007!

Beautifull!!!Thank you so much!

It is such a wonderfull warm and sunny day here today,and all are in such a joyous mood,it's bliss!

HM and the RF are about to arrive at the 2nd leg of the celebrations in the town of Veenendaal,where,tradionally one of HM and the RF's most loyal subjects is awaiting HM with liquorice again,always very very much appreciated by HM.Oscar,we here all wish you a wonderfull Queensday in Veenendaal!It has become a tradition since decades that Oscar awaits HM and the RF at about the end of the route in the last of the two places to be visited.HM is since long very keen in spotting Oscar and greeting him wholeheartedly while accepting the liquorice...and...that is happily accepted by the other members of the RF as well,and by the time all are back in the Royal bus and it starts driving,the liquorice is gone...vamos..

In her word of thanks for all the warm welcomes and activities Her Majesty also said;"It is a pity and sad that our family isn't complete today.But I'm very gratefull for all the warmth and wishes we have seen and heard here today and I will pass it on." (to Princes Mabel that is-).Thank you all so very much.

Tonight at 22.55PM:Podium,with the Queensday Concert from Noordeinde Palace,Ned2.